As summer days go, July was cool one for kids in the Macomb Intermediate School District Children First Summer Day Camp. Not only did they celebrate Christmas in July but were treated to a story by Mellissa Green, host of The Macomb Daily and Daily Tribune’s “Goodnight Michigan” web show.

The MISD summer camp program is for students who are homeless or were in foster care over the past school year. Camp activities include journal writing, reading and math along with recreation out in the community.

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MISD funds the camp but field trips are made possible through community donations. “Monday we went golfing at Cracklewood Golf Course,” Kropf said. “That was a treat offered by Macomb Charitable Foundation.”

The organization had an instructor and several volunteers teach the kids how to golf and treated them to lunch and a ride on the golf carts.

Kropf said another time they went bowling.

“Today’s visit by ‘Goodnight Michigan’ was another nice surprise,” said Kropf, who has been working with Macomb County’s homeless population for 18 years.

“Goodnight Michigan,” created in the spirit of old-time radio, features a new story or adventure with each episode. Afterward, it is posted online so parents and children can listen to the story at bedtime, or anytime.

This episode of “Goodnight Michigan” was about Ernest, a tiny, loveable donkey, who discovers that one of his farmyard friends Chester is missing on Christmas Eve. When he finds his friend lying in the snow and unable to get up, Ernest and the rest of the animals on the farm - both large and small - work together to bring Chester to his feet. In anticipation of the Christmas story, Kropf decorated the room with a tree and 26 individually wrapped gifts.

Sitting in a circle around Greene - whose animated voice and magic glasses (as she describes the funky specs she dons for every story) make every story interesting - the children listened with great anticipation. Through Ernest’s story, written by Laura T. Barnes and illustrated by Carol A. Camburn, the campers learned why the power of love and selflessness are true gifts of the holiday season and that when friends work together anything is possible.

“I think it’s kind of neat how the donkey’s friends help him out,” said Keira, 9. “One time a lot of my friends got together to help out a friend. Her parents were divorced and she had to live with her dad. It was her birthday and nothing was planned so we went to her house for a play date.” While they were there the father managed to divert the girl from the house long enough for Keira and her group to decorate. “When she got back we threw her a surprise birthday party. She never had a really cool birthday party. We did everything, balloons, we even got the food. It felt really good that I did something good for someone else.”

Jayden, 10, was also inspired by the story, one of several titles in the award-winning Barnyard series about a farm for homeless animals. “I’d like to be an author,” said Jayden. “You can be anything you want to be and the more the people who help the better you can achieve it.”

The Homeless Education Project reported that during the 2012-13 school years there were 1,034 homeless students in Macomb County. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.misd.net or contact the Homeless Education Liaison at kkropf@misd.net or call 586-228-3490.

“Goodnight Michigan” is an online web series. For episodes visit: www.macombdaily.com or www.dailytribune.com. For story suggestions or to invite “Goodnight Michigan” to your school email: gina.joseph@macombdaily.com.